Apparatus for cutting and scoring blanks



Feb. 19, 1952 1- Q TROTH 2,586,744

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND SCORING BLANKS Filed June 29, 1949 l!! 711111111/lIllIIIl/lllllllbofll:

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Patented Feb. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CUTTING AND SCORING BLANKS John Shipley Troth, Wayne, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Robert Gair Company Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Dela- Application June 29, 1949, serial No. 102,106

(c1. sas-58.3)

- 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus and process for the cutting and scoring of plastic blanks.

It has heretofore been the practice to perform scoring operations on plastic blanks, such as container blanks, so as to make the blanks foldable along pre-determined lines, by applying heated scoring blades under pressure to a plastic sheet positioned on a steel plate or bed. The use of such heatedn scoring blades has, unfortunately, limited the type of material from which scored plastic blanks may be manufactured to those materials which will withstand the action of heat. The use of cold scoring blades has, in the past, proved to be highly impractical, except 4in special instances, due to the tendency of most plastic'materials to crack along the folding lines thus formed. This difliculty has been particularly serious in the case of relatively low `'cost plastic materials such as cellulose acetate.

It has long been desired to develop a single, easy and inexpensive process of scoring plastic sheet improved process of cutting and scoring plastic blanks which may be used Awith a wide variety of plastic materials.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved process of scoring plastic blanks which will not cause the plastic material to crack along the folding lines produced by the scoring blades.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved apparatus for scoring plastic materials which will be simple, easy and inexpensive to use, operate and maintain.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specication, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout.

Fig. l is a plan view illustrating a simple preferred form of apparatus wherein this new process may be practiced and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, vertical, transverse section taken on line II-II of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of this invention, two cooperating members IIJ and Cil I2 are shown which are adapted to be moved relatively together and apart under pressure to accomplish the results hereinafter described. Since any of the mechanisms well known to the art, as for instance a platen press, may be utilized for applying pressure to the members I0 and I2, such mechanism is omitted from the showing in the application as not pertinent to an understanding of the invention. The member I0 may be considered as a bed or platen, preferably made of steel, and the number I2 may be termed a head. Secured to the outer edges of rthe bed I0 are a plurality of retaining stops II, preferably made of soft rubber, which are adapted to hold a plastic sheet I5 in position for the cutting and scoring operations.

Mounted on the head I2 are cutting blades I3 and scoring Iblades I4. The cutting blades I3 are preferably made of steel and are formed with sharp cutting edges I6 which are designed to penetrate the plastic material and cause a cutting or separation thereof along the line of the cutting edges. The scoring blades I4 are likewise preferably made of steel and are formed with scoring edges II which are designed to score the plastic material without cutting through it.

Mounted on the upper face of the bed `Ill is a relatively thin resilient mat I9 preferably made of rubber, rubberized fabric or equivalent flexible material having capacity to yield under pressure. Mat I9 has a continuous plane upper surface which faces head member I2, and is depressible under the inuence of scoring blades I4 when the scoring blades I4 approach bed member I 0. The plastic sheet I5 is positioned upon the resilient mat I9 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The mat I9 is of such configuration as to permit it to separate plastic sheet I5 from the upper face I8 of bed I0 along folding lines 20, where the scoring edge I'I bears against the sheet I5, when the bed II) and the head I2 are in a position of closest proximity. Mat I9 is also shaped and positioned to permit plastic sheet I5 to rest in direct contact with the upper face I8 of bed Ill along cutting lines 2I which are located where cutting edges IB of blades I3 penetrate through the plastic sheet I5.

The process of cutting and scoring the blank is as follows:

The head I2 and the bed I0 are moved relatively apart. Thereupon mat I9 is correctly formed and positioned upon face I8 of bed IB so as to support plastic sheet I5 along the lines 2.0 where the scoring blades I4 will bear against sheet I5 and not along the lines 2l Where the cutting blades I3 operatively contact the plastic sheet I5. This can be accomplished by first temporarily attaching a thin, flexible, resilient mat to the bed by means of an adhesive tape or the like. The cutting and scoring blades of the head are then brought into contact with the mat under pressure. This contact not only cuts the mat but also provides indications on the mat as to the location of the scoring lines. These indications are then used as a guide in the cutting of the mat to its iinal shape as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 1. It will be noted that mat I9 is cut in such a way as to insure a substantial clearance between the cutting blades I3 and the mat I9 along the cutting lines 2|. This clearance is sufficient to provide a at contact between plastic sheet I5 and the bed I0 along each of the cutting lines as shown in Fig. 2. This feature of the present invention is of importance in obtaining the desired results since a flat surface contact is required along the cutting lines in order to avoid any bending except where desired along the folding lines. The cutting lines ultimately dene the tucks and flaps of the finished container blank. If the outline of the mat is permitted to extend to or almost to the cutting lines, a bending effect is induced along the cutting lines just prior to the passage of the cutting blades through the plastic material. The bend thus induced is retained in the final form of the container blank with the result that assembly of the container blank to a nished container is made very difficult and the iinal appearance is adversely affected. As the mat is cut to its filial shape, it is rmly cemented to the bed I0.

As illustrated in the drawings, a single container blank of the folding type is shown but it will be understood that this invention is equally applicable to the cutting and scoring of a plurality of such folding container blanks in a single operation. After cutting mat I9 to the desired shape and attaching it rmly to bed I0, plastic sheet I5 is placed upon the upper surface of mat I9 with parts of sheet I5 extending out over bed I and making at contact therewith. Sheet I5 is held firmly in proper position by retaining stops Il. In carrying out the cutting and scoring operation, head I2 and bed I0 are moved relatively together so that the cutting edges I6 of cutting blades I3 bear against plastic sheet I5 along cutting lines 2| and the scoring edges I1 of scoring blades I3 bear against plastic sheet I5 along folding lines 20. Upon the application of additional pressure causing head I2 and bed II) to continue to move relatively together, the cutting edges I6 of cutting blades I3 will penetrate plastic sheet I5 along the lines 2I and this will cause a clean cut separation thereof. At the same time scoring edges I`I of scoring blades I4 bear further against sheet I5 along folding lines 20. Due to the presence of thin, flexible, resilient mat I9, the scoring edges I'I do not penetrate sheet I5, but instead cause a deformation of the plastic material along folding lines 20 and at the same time cause a bending of the plastic sheet along the scoring lines. The elasticity of mat I9 acts as a cushion and absorbs and distributes the pres sure exerted by scoring blade I4 along folding lines 2) so as not only to prevent peneration of the plastic sheet but also to prevent cracks from developing in the plastic material along the folding lines 20, not only during the scoring operation but also in the later folding operation when the container blank is set up at which time a further bending is carried out in the same dreQtiQIl @s 4 that initiated by the slight bending at the time of scoring. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that either the head or the bed may be held in a fixed position or both may be movable.

Upon the completion of the cutting and scoring operation, head I2 and bed I0 are moved relatively apart so as to permit removal of the newly formed blank or blanks and insertion of a new plastic sheet.

It is to be understood that the apparatus and process of the invention, herein shown and dei scribed, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts or utilization thereof in the process, may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention, o1' the scope of the appended claims. l

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus for cutting and scoring blanks comprising a pair of die members movable toward and away from one another, means for moving said die members toward and away from one another, blank cutting and scoring blades on a rst one of said die members, a rigid substantially non-yieldable plate on the second die member opposite the cutting and scoi'ing blades of the first member, and a sheet of yieldable rubber forming a cushion on said non-yieldable plate opposite the scoring blades of the first member, said yicldable rubber sheet being restricted as to size and shape to those portions of the non yieldable plate which are removed from the portions confronting said cutting blades, and being in such position that it is depressible upon apd proach of the scoring blades to the bed member.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, further characterized by the fact that the yeldable rubber sheet has a continuous plane face.

3. Apparatus for cutting and scoring blanks comprising opposed head and bed members movable relative to one another, cutting blades on said head member defining the borders of a blank, said cutting blades being opposite said f bed member, scoring blades also on said head member wholly within the borders dened by said cutting blades, a sheet of resilient material on said bed member and disposed between the scoring blade and bed member in the course of their relative movement and depressible upon approach of the scoring blades to the bed member, said resilient sheet also being wholly within the borders dened by said cutting blades when the head and bed members are brought together, and means for effecting the relative movement of said head and bed members to separate them and bring them together.

JOHN SHIPEY TROTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,080,759 Gruenberg Dec. 9, 1913 1,189,073 Driver June 27, 1916 1,289,679 Craig Dec. 31, 1918 1,340,558 Plummer May 18, 1920 1,367,675 Tibbitts Feb. 8, 1921 1,724,358 Messer Aug. 13, 1929 1,751,451 Smith Mar. 18, 1930 2,043,432 Flood June 9, 1936 2,294,020 Breth et al. Aug. 25, 1942 2,524,962 Dalsemer Oct. 10, 1950 

